Figuring Out the Stuff Between the Beginning and the End

Running

Several years ago… more years than I care to admit… I was sitting around with a friend of mine lamenting some decisions that the powers that be in the city of Roanoke were making. The two of us thought it would be great to run for city council. Though it never happened. I moved to North Carolina. He got married and had a kid. Life happened.

Yesterday, I was sitting in the office that I share with our church’s Director of Children’s Ministry, and she mentioned that her friend was running for mayor. That sort of got me thinking. “I could run for mayor…”

No, that’s not really what I thought. Who wants that much power?

But I did think it would be cool to run for town council. I don’t even know why. The experience of the experience? To institute change in our tiny little college town? To build a wall? That’s how you get elected to office these days, right? You promise to do crazy things that you’ll never actually deliver on? Oh, that’s how you get elected to office in every election throughout the history of modern politics.

Well, I decided to actually look into it. I mean, what’s it going to hurt to take a drive over to the county registrar’s office and ask a few questions. The registrar was actually very helpful. She gave me a thick packet full of required forms that I would need to fill out. I nearly laughed in her face when she told me the first campaign finance deadline was April 17. “Finance?” I thought, “I need money for this thing?”

She also went on to explain that I would need 125 signatures from people registered to vote in the town of Blacksburg. I thanked her for her help and walked out. And I heard laughter before the door closed behind me. I’m not sure the ladies in the registrar’s office took me seriously.

Anyway, as I drove toward my home, I realized that I’m not eligible to run for town council. Because I don’t actually live in Blacksburg. Sure, that’s what my mailing address says. But when you look at the district lines, I’m in the county.

So much for a career in politics.

I was gonna be good, too. I was gonna abolish Daylight Saving Time. From the town council chambers. Because that’s how much power I was gonna have.